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Maya2001 -> RE: Born to Be Wild - 'Yarak' and that recent Tiger accident... (1/15/2008 6:20:22 PM)
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Even many domesticated dogs and cats have retained natural prey drives, but if you watched cats and dogs most got thru what I like to refer as zoomies, where they start running around silly to release pent up energy, big cats also need to release that pent up energy otherwise it leads to frustration, most zoos do not provide enough space or stimulation for the big cats to burn of excess energy, pacing is one way of doing but does not release enough energy and leads to a frustrated animal with low tolerance and short temper, and if they have companions they may play wrestle with them to help release energy, I know my dogs in the winter will rough horse more with me in the winter months when they are not getting out enough to burn of that energy or will start racing around the house and wrestling with each other When I have brought in track greyhounds some needed correction on how they could acceptable play with me(because unlike pet dogs the litter is kept together for 1 1/2 years before being seperated at the track so they often will treat/interact with humans as though they are littermates depending how much human interaction they get when they are young, some of the greyhound breeding farms will 300 or more dogs so they do not get all that much human contact ) , as such many tried to play with me as though I was another dog so would throw themselves at me to knock me off my feet and play nip. I had to practice with them running around the yard which would then wound up enough to play and every time they played inaproppriately they got a verbal scolding and I would turn my back on them and ignore for a few minutes and then repeat the running around until they finally learn what from of play was acceptable and what isn't, I have one here that I have had for 4 years and she still gets very playful and in her excitement to play every so often forgets herself and screws up and starts playing with me as though I am another dog and will rake me with her claws or grab me hand or arm, she is only 60 lbs if she ran into me hard enough she could break my leg, but overall any damage in play to me would be minimal but a tiger weighs 10 times more than a greyhound with far sharper claws and they become deadly if they decide to play with a human as though another tiger.. I have owned domestic cats in the past they too want to play and wrestle with their humans, play hunt by attack feet or hands but at 10 lbs they can still do some damage to a human if they play too rough, now imagine that same cat at 600 lbs wanting to play attack/wrestle in the same manner, it won't be a pretty sight
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